Controlling device for heating systems.



C. BURNS & F. E. WOLLEN.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

APPLICA'HON FILED MAR. 17, 1915.

1,179,344. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

5 20 i i W/i/l/ll/Z 2 2 CHARLES BURNS AND FRANK E. WOLLEN, 0F FREMONT, NEBRASKA.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR HEATING SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed March 17, 1915. Serial No. 15,143.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, CHARLES BURNS and FRANK E. WOLLEN, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of F remont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Devices for Heating Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to controlling devices for heating systems and particularly to those used for permitting the escape of air from a two pipe vacuum vapor heating system, the said invention being effective to prevent the escape of steam or water from the system or the return of air to the system, through the valve.

An object ofthe invention, therefore, is to provide novel means whereby the fluid in the pipes of a system controls mechanism for opening and closing ports or passages, whereby the circulation of the air and steam results to accomplish the purposes stated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which-- Figure 1 illustrates a vertical sectional view of an air and vacuum valve, embodying the invention; Fig. 2 illustrates a view in elevation, partly in section, of a port controlling means and parts associated therewith; and Fig. 3 illustrates a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings 1 denotes a member forming a chamber, one embodiment of which is here shown as cylindrical and of metal with a head having a threaded opening 2 and a threaded opening 3 at the side near the top thereof for purposes to be presently explained. The cylindrical member also has its opposite end provided with a closure 1 fitted to the flange 5 of the cylindrical member and the said closure and flange have coinciding apertures for the reception of securing means such as bolts 6 by which the closure is held in place. Furthermore, the closure has a threaded aperture 7 for the engagement of a nipple 8 of the drain cock 9. The cylindrical member is furthermore provided with internal lugs 10 which constitute guides for a bell float 11 which bell float extends from the bottom to a point near the top of the cylindrical member above the opening 3 in the side wall of the said cylindrical member. The bell float has its Wall at the lower end provided with a series of apertures 12 which permit the free circulation of fluid, such as water, from the exterior to the interior thereof for a purpose to be presently described.

There is a member 13 threaded in the aperture 2 of the cylindrical member, the said member 13 having a horizontally disposed web 14 constituting a valve seat and another horizontally disposed web 15 acting as a guide, the said Webs having apertures 16 and 17 respectively for the reception of a valve stem 18, the said valve stem being free to slide vertically with relation to the said member. The webs are furthermore in spaced relation to the valve stem so that passages are formed which will permit the circulation of fluid or air through the said member. The member is furthermore shaped at its lower end to form a valve seat 19 for engaging a valve 20 carried by the valve stem 18, and the said valve stem 18 furthermore acts as a guide for the disk valve 21 which, by seating on the web 14 will guard the passage at the aperture 16 o the said web, although the said valve is free to be unseated when the internal pressure is greater than the external pressure, as will presently appear.

In constructing the valve 20, I provide a base 22 which carries the valve 20, the said base having a central stud 23 threaded into an aperture 24 in the lower end of the valve stem. The upper end of the valve stem has an aperture 25 with a pin 26 projecting from the sides thereof, the said pin being slidable in slots 27 which extend longitudinally of a hollow coupling 28 by which the valve stem is connected to a diaphragm 29. The purpose of the construction just described and the relation between the valve stem and the coupling is that the said valve stem may have movement in one direction independently of the diaphragm and be inoved in the opposite direction by the action of the said diaphragm. The diaphragm has a central aperture for the reception of the threaded stud 30 which projects from'the coupling and a nut'31 engaging the threaded stud serves to retain the coupling in place.

The diaphragm 29 is shown as being con fined within a chamber consisting of upper and lower oppositely curved heads or plates 32 and 33 respectively, each of which has a flange and the said flanges have coinciding apertures for the reception of the securing means, such as bolts 34. The lower head has apertures 35 in communication'with the atmosphere so that normally, that portion of the chamber below the diaphragm is under atmospheric pressure. The diaphragm is reinforced by upper and lower metallic plates 36 and they have apertures corresponding with the aperture in the diaphragm through which the threaded stud 30 projects, the assembled relation of these elements being well shown in Fig. 1. The plates serve to strengthen the diaphragm and prevent bulging of the same.

The lower head 33 of the diaphragm chamber has a threaded aperture 37 to receive the threaded end of the member 13, so that that part of the diaphragm chamber below the diaphragm is in communication with the cylindrical member 1, subject to control by the valves 20 and 21. The upper head 32 of the diaphragm chamber has a threaded aperture 38 for the reception of the nipple 39 of the pipe 40, the said pipe 40 and its fittings being connected to a threeway coupling 41, one branch of which is of restricted area as compared with the area of the two branches, one of which latter, identifled by the reference numeral 42 is in communication with the threaded opening 3 of the cylindrical chamber 1 and the other branch 43 is to receive a pipe 44 constituting the air and water return of the heating system, and the said pipe 44 leads to the coupling 45 having branch pipes 46 and 47, the former of which is the main through which water returns to the boiler and the latter of which is the main through which air and water pass to the last mentioned coupling.

We have referred to the couplings and mains without reference to their measurements or proportions for the reason that it .is not our purpose to be restricted to such proportions as much, in this regard, will depend upon the character of the heating system and its capacity.

In the operation of the system, the chamber 1 and the float therein will be filled with water to the level or approximately the level of the dotted line 48, this step being preferable as it will save time waiting for the condensation from the system to fill the chamber formed by the cylindrical member, which chamber may be regarded as the thermostatic chamber. When steam is turned into the heating system, air and water of condensation are forced through the return main to the coupling 45. Here the air and water separate, the water falling by gravity to the boiler and the air rising and pass ing through the opening 3 to the interior of the cylindrical member 1. The said air then passes around and over the bell float and through the passages of the member 13, the pressure of which is suflicient to unseat the valve 21 to permit the escape of air into the diaphragm chamber, from whence it escapes to the atmosphere through the openings 35. hen air has been discharged from the system, steam naturally follows. lVhen steam enters the cylindrical member 1 and envelops or partially envelops the bell float, it expands the air that is confined in the upper portion of the said bell float and the expansion of air in the bell float results in the elevation of the said bell float to such an extent as to engage the base 22 of the valve and said valve is raised to the seat 19, thus closing the lower end of the member 2 and preventing the further passage of air or steam through the said member so long as the said valve is seated. During such operation, the valve stem is free to ascend in the coupling, by which it is connected to the diaphragm so that the valve may move independently of the diaphragm. In the event of there being an excessive pressure at any time within the system which would prevent the water of condensation from gravitating to the boiler, such. water would rise and reach the interior of the cylindrical member 1, raising the water line therein and consequently causing the bell float to rise in the cylindrical member and the bell float would engage the valve base 22 and cause the valve 20 to seat on the lower end of the member 2, thus preventing the escape of water through the diaphragm chamber and the valve would be so held until the pressure of water equaled the pressure of steam in the boiler when the water has returned, by gravity, to the boiler. When the system begins to cool, there is a tendency for the air to return to the system through the same openings by which it escaped but the disk valve 21 prevents this return of the air to the system as it serves to close the openings through the member 13 for such length of timeas to cause the establishment of a partial vacuum and in this way, air is exhausted from the top side of the diaphragm through the pipe 40 and the atmospheric pressure on the lower side of the diaphragm forces the said diaphragm upward. The elevation of the diaphragm carries the valve stem 18 and hence causes a seating of the valve 20 on the lower end of the member 13, holding the said valve in this position and preventing the return of air to the heating system. To prevent the diaphragm from operating to unseat the valve 20 when there is an excessive pressure on the system, the slots 27 are formed in the coupling so that the diaphragm may move downwardly without communicating motion to the said valve, although the said diaphragm may not move upwardly without causing the said valve to follow.

We claim 1. In a heating system, a controlling means comprising a float chamber having an aperture for the admission of fluid and a diaphragm chamber, a diaphragm in the diaphragm chamber, a pipe providing communication between the chambers, said pipe having webs, each of said webs having a central opening, a valve having a shank extending through the openings, means for connecting the valve and diaphragm, a float in the float chamber, said float adapted to engage the valve and seat the same against one end of the pipe, and means for supplying fluid to both sides of the diaphragm.

2. In a heating system, a controlling means comprising a float chamber, a float in said chamber, a diaphragm chamber above the float chamber and a diaphragm in the diaphragm chamber, a pipe providing communication between the chambers, a valve seat at each end of the pipe, a shank extending through the pipe, said shank carrying a valve, means for connecting the valve shank and diaphragm to allow movement of the valve in one direction Without moving the diaphragm, said valve adapted to move into engagement with the valve seat at one end of the pipe, a valve controlling the valve seat at the opposite end of the pipe, and means for admitting fluid to the fluid chamber and diaphragm chamber.

3. In a heating system, a controlling means comprising a float chamber and a dia phragm chamber, a pipe for providing communication between the chambers, a valve for closing one end of the pipe, a float in the float chamber, said float adapted to move upwardly and operate the valve, :1 diaphragm in the diaphragm chamber, a coupling secured to the diaphragm, said coupling having longitudinal slots, said valve having a transverse pin operating in the slots to permit movement of the diaphragm in one direction independent of the valve, and means for admitting fluid to the chambers.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES BURNS. FRANK E. WOLLEN. Witnesses:

VICTOR SEITZ, RALPH H. BURR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

